Wire-tightener.



No. 679,870. Y

c. F. sTounAn.

WIRE TIGHTENER.

(Application med Sept. 1, 1900,)

(No Model.)

Patented Aug.'6, |901.

vens co. momumo. wnsmnm'ou, D. c.

UNITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES F. STODDARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PLANTERSCOMPRESS' COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIRE-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersvlatent No. 679,870, dated August6, 1901. Application tiled September 1, 1900. Serial No. 28,738. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern,.- y

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. STODDARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi nois, haveinvented a new and useful Wire- Tightener, of which the following is aspecification. i

This invention relates to a wire-tightener.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective meansfor drawing stay- Vtighten the wire. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.Fig. 3 is a front view of a bale with the wire-tightener applied and thewire drawn tightly around the bale. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.Fig. 5 is a front view of a bale with the wire-tightener swung to areverse position around one arm of the same, so as to bend the wire backupon itself. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.

In carrying out this invention the two 0pposite ends of the wire whichis to encircle the bale are grasped by two arms which are adapted tomove away from each other. `A convenient arrangement of these arms isthat shown in the several figures of the drawings, in which the upperends of such arms are pivoted together and the lower ends are free andare provided with a construction adapted to manipulate the ends of thewire, as will be hereinafter more particularly described. While thispivoted arrangement is the preferable form, it is manifest it is notabsolutely necessary so long as the arms are capable of being movedagainst each other and are yet held in a certain relation to each other.Some particular portions of these arms, preferably the lower endsthereof, are provided with means for taking hold of the ends of thewire. A convenient construction for this purpose is shown in theaccompanying drawings. The arm to the right is provided with a lip orpro- `and 6 of the drawings.

jection extending at right angles from the outer face of the arm andhaving a daring or forked slot therein. This slot receives the end ofthe wire adjacent to the loop, and the lip forms anV abutment to preventthe loop from too readily pulling through. This lip is in the drawingsdesignated by the letter e, and its construction is best shown in Figs.4

tightening-wire should be passed through the loop and to and throughan'aperture or slot formed in the arm D. This slot or aperture ispreferably somewhat elongated and inclined to the plane of the arm-thatis to say, 65

starting from the outside the slot is cut through the arm in a directionapproaching the other arm and at what might be termed an acute angle.This shape of the slot it The other end of the 6o is manifest will causethe end of the wire to 7o bind more tightly in the slot (which isdesignated d in the drawings) the more tightly the wire is drawn by thespreading apart of the movable arms.

It is plain first loosely applied around the bale and to the tightenerthe position of the tightener and wire are about as shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings; but by spreading apart the arms to be seen that when thewire is which grasp the ends of the wire a tighten- 8o ing of such wirewill be eected, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Many eifectivedevices may be employed to spread apart these arms; but a pair ofelbow-levers pivoted together at their angle and having the short end ofeach connected to an arm and the long end of each projected above toserve as handles has been found in practice to be a most effective andconvenient means for the purpose. bell-crank levers ,are shown pivotedtogether at their angles at the point C and pivoted to the arms D andD', respectively, by the pins A3 and B3. These bell-crank levers are Inthe drawings these elbow or 9o in the drawings designated by thereferenceletters A and B, the short arms of such levers by thereference-letters A2 and B2, and the long arms by the reference-lettersA and B.

`The pivot of the spreading-arms isdesignated by the letter E.

As before stated, the upturned lip is designated in the drawings by theletter e and IOO l the flaring slot or cut or notch therein by theletter e'. g r"lhepperation ofthe device is as follows: lhe wire whichis to encompass the bale -or other package has formed in one end thereofa loop, and'after such Wire is passed around the bale or package theother end of such Wire is passed through the loop and thestem of theloop placed in the notch of the llpd, so that bhe body of the loop willalbut; agalnst the outer side of such loop, wh11e the free end of thefire which has been passed through. the loop is Vnext?passedrdovvnthrough talle 1711- clined slot in the other arm of the pair ofspreading-arms. The handles, which are at this time in the positionshown in Fig. l of t-he drawings, are then drawn together, which forcesthe arms or jaws D D" apart, and as the free end ofthe Wire is grippedin the slot 'd ofthe spreading-arm D and the looprests against the outerside of the lip of arm D "the wire is constantly drawn upon in bothdirections and tightened, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. After thewire has been tightened the tiglitener is turned back upon itself intothe position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawingsthat i's to say, it isturned about arm or jaw D `as an axis-so that arm D is 'swung from theposition shown in Fig. 3 over to the position shown near the edge of thebale in Fig. 5, which consequently turns or bends the wire upon itselfover the loop, and thereby prevents any slackening of the wire, afterwhich the tightener may be removed. The end of the wire is twistedaround the taut part of itself, and thus a permanent tie is effected.

This tightening device is very rapid in its action and veiy edective inits result, so that every particle of slack of the wire is taken up, andthe wire can be permanently fastened without any danger of its becomingloosened. Furthermore, With the construction shown an increase ofleverage is acquired in the manipulation of the device, with aproportionate decrease of power, enabling the wire to be drawn moretightly against the expansion of the bale than can be accom plished byother hand-operated tighteners.

It is manifest that many modifications may be made in the details ofconstruction Without departing from the spirit of the invention,

and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to theexact details shown and described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.

l. A wire-tightener having two movable parts, each provided with meansfor grasping thewire, in `combination with bell-crank le- 6o thereof tosaid movable parts, as and for the l purpose set forth. y

2. A Wire-tightener comprising a pair of Varms or jaws pivotallyconnected together and each. provided With. means' for grasping the endsof the Wire to be tightened, in combina.- 'bion with' levers pivoted toeach. other and respectively connected to said plvoted armasY or jaws,as and for the purpose s ef: forth.

3. Arwire-tghtener comprising a pair of jaws or arms pivotally connectedtogether and having arms for grasping the ends of the wire to betightened, in combination with a pair of bell-crank levers pivotallyconnected to each other and each connected to one of said jaws, as andfor the purpose set forth. Y

4. A Wire-tightener comprising a pair of arms'or jaws pivotallyconnected together at the ends thereof and provided with means at theother ends thereof for grasping the ends of the Wire to be tightened, incombination with a pair of bell-crank levers pivotally connectedtogether at the angles thereof, one arm of each lever being pivotallyconnected to one of said pivoted arms or jaws at a point intermediatethe ends of the latter, as and for the purpose set for-th.

5. A wire-tightenei comprising a pair of arms or jaws pivotallyconnected together at one end, one of said jaws provided at the free endthereot` with an abutment and the other -of said arms or jaws providedat the free end thereof with a slot, in combination with bellycranklevers pivotally connected at the angles thereof, one arm of each ofsaid levers being pivotally connected to one of said arms or jaws, asand for the purpose set forth.

6. A wire-tightener comprisiiiga pair of pivoted arms or jaws, the lowerends of which are respectively provided with a lip having a notchtherein, against which lip the loop of the wire to be tightened rests,and an inclined slot in which the free end of the wire is gripped, andbell-crank levers pivoted by their shorter ends to the said arms or jawsand having their longer ends project upward to serve as handles formanipulating the saine; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 28th day of August,1900, in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses. A

cHAs. ir. sroDDARD.

